In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Still

Today is Friday, the Muslim day of prayer, and many of the shops are closed. We had it planned as free day to maybe see Malioboro Street, which was named after the Duke of Marlborough. This street is the main shopping area. Maybe like the Miracle Mile in Chicago, but if you were selling batik fabric and clothing, jewelry, carvings, tattoos, and everything a tourist would desire, this is where you would set up shop.

After breakfast this morning Laura asked about a massage and Anthony the hotel manager offered to take me to the massage. We all went off for the day. Jim, Anthony, and his beautiful and delightful wife to also show us their city. Laura had a Japanese massage for one hour for about $7.00. The shop was decorated as Japanese tea house and the therapists were wearing kimonos. The message made her shoulder felt so much better. She wishes massages were this cheep in the US. The group was waiting for me and Eric took us to have Balinese food in his van. On the way to the restaurant we enjoyed seeing the city with a car as we usually walk. The city was built without much planning, an example a newly constructed home with gate and a new car beside the front door. The building next to the house may be a motorcycle shop that is dark, and covered wall to ceiling with grime and grease, and parts all over the place. Men in the shop may be working at fever pitch or may be sleeping. Next to that, a Batik shop with women waiting for the next person to buy fabric or clothing, and maybe the morning food market. All lower walls of the buildings, including houses, roll down shop doors, and gates are covered with some of the best graffiti I have ever seen. Most of the graffiti is just a poor form of tagging. In my classes on graffiti the quick ugly marks were called throw-ups and the artist that had taken time to paint his statement was angered by the throw-ups across his work.

The restaurant was at a simple place that also sold bus tickets. The meal consisted of a red dried coconut crushed into a pulp, thinly sliced green pepper and green beans, beef wrapped in a banana leaf, boney beef or pork soup, and white rice. We liked everything.

We all rode to Malioboro Street, which Jim and I had planned to investigate. We were checked by security as we drove into underground parking. Indonesia has had many bombing. One Islamic fundamentalists group bombed the Buddhists temple of Borobudur. We saw evidence of this at the temple and the museum on our tour. Shopping is Jim’s least favorite thing and Laura bought a deck of cards with the masks of Java on them, which she may frame them. We treated the couple to cold drinks at a roof top restaurant, and then back to the hotel. What a fun day with two wonderful people. The other couple was nice also.